Mary Felzkowski
Mary Felzkowski | |
|---|---|
| President of the Wisconsin Senate | |
| Assuming office January 6, 2025 | |
| Succeeding | Chris Kapenga |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 12th district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tiffany |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 35th district | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tiffany |
| Succeeded by | Calvin Callahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Jean Behling September 25, 1963 Tomahawk, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Irma, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–River Falls (BS) |
| Website | Official website |
Mary Jean Felzkowski (née Behling; born September 25, 1963) is an American businesswoman and Republican politician from northern Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 12th Senate district since 2021. She previously served eight years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and was assistant minority leader in the 2019–2020 session.
She was known as Mary Czaja until her second marriage in 2016. On many official documents after 2017, including the 2018 and 2020 election ballots, her name appeared as Mary Czaja-Felzkowski.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Mary Felzkowski was born Mary Jean Behling on September 25, 1963. She graduated from Tomahawk High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.[3]
Career
[edit]Felzkowski is the owner of CIS Insurance Group in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. In November 2012, she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican, succeeding Tom Tiffany, who was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.[4]
Felzkowski is a supporter of medical cannabis, and submitted a measure to legalize it in Wisconsin.[5] Felzkowski has also advocated against the expansion of Medicaid.[6] She was chosen by the Republican caucus as the assistant majority leader in the 2019–2020 session.[citation needed]
After incumbent state senator Tom Tiffany was elected to Congress in a 2020 special election, Felzkowski announced that she would run for the seat he was vacating in the Wisconsin Senate.[7] She was unopposed in the Republican primary, and went on to defeat Democrat Ed Vocke in the 2020 general election.[8]
Following the 2024 Wisconsin Senate elections, Felzkowski was elected to be the Senate president going into the 107th Wisconsin Legislature.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Felzkowski has been married twice and has five children. She took the name Mary Czaja after marrying her first husband Bruce Czaja; they divorced in 2011.[10] She subsequently married Jeffery James Felzkowski on December 31, 2016, and took the name Mary Felzkowski.[2][3]
She is a former president of Tomahawk Main Street, Inc., a community organization of Tomahawk businesses, and a former board member and national director of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. She is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association of America.[3]
Electoral history
[edit]Wisconsin Assembly (2012–2018)
[edit]| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | General[11] | Nov. 6 | Mary Czaja | Republican | 15,481 | 53.30% | Kevin Koth | Dem. | 12,149 | 41.83% | 29,045 | 3,332 |
| Patrick K. Tjugum | Ind. | 1,397 | 4.81% | |||||||||
| 2014 | General[12] | Nov. 4 | Mary Czaja (inc) | Republican | 18,713 | 98.58% | 18,982 | 18,444 | ||||
| 2016 | General[13] | Nov. 8 | Mary Czaja (inc) | Republican | 18,622 | 66.02% | Renea Frederick | Dem. | 9,564 | 33.91% | 28,208 | 9,058 |
| 2018 | General[14] | Nov. 6 | Mary Czaja-Felzkowski (inc) | Republican | 16,380 | 62.74% | Mark A. Martello | Dem. | 9,714 | 37.21% | 26,107 | 6,666 |
Wisconsin Senate (2020, 2024)
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 2020[8] | |||||
| Republican | Mary Czaja-Felzkowski | 67,800 | 65.66% | +2.74% | |
| Democratic | Ed Vocke | 35,386 | 34.27% | ||
| Scattering | 70 | 0.07% | |||
| Plurality | 32,414 | 31.39% | +5.51% | ||
| Total votes | 103,256 | 100.0% | +13.43% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ Incumbents Who Have Filed a Notifications of Noncandidacy (EL-163) for the November 3, 2020 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Hertel, Nora G. (January 4, 2017). "Northwoods Rep has changed name from Czaja". Wausau Daily Herald. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Representative Mary Felzkowski". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Mary Czaja winner in state Assembly race". Antigo Daily Journal. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Wahlberg, David (September 11, 2019). "Medical marijuana, dental therapists key state legislative health issues this fall". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "GOP Radio Address - Rep. Felzkowski on Medicaid". YouTube. June 6, 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
- ^ Poltrock, Heather. "Representative Mary Felzkowski announces bid for State Senate". WSAW. Retrieved 2020-04-17.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Sen. Felzkowski: Elected Senate President". WisPolitics. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ Lincoln County Case Number 2011FA000011 In RE the marriage of Bruce E Czaja and Mary J Czaja (Report). Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 16. Retrieved May 16, 2023 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 26, 2014. p. 17. Retrieved May 16, 2023 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. pp. 16–17. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 18. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Living people
- People from Tomahawk, Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin–River Falls alumni
- Businesspeople from Wisconsin
- Women state legislators in Wisconsin
- Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
- 1963 births
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century American women politicians
- 21st-century Wisconsin politicians